King Charles III’s office has shared a stunning clip of Queen Camila’s emotional interaction with a veteran of the Second World War as she invited him to Clarence House for a discussion.
During the heartfelt conversation, the Queen also revealed how her father had a lucky escape when he was shot in the face during the war.
The royal family on Thursday, may 8, released a clip of the Queen with an announcement about her next royal engagement, stating: “Last week at Clarence House, The Queen sat down with veteran Douglas Cracknell to hear about his memories of VE Day.”
The Palace announced: “This evening, The King and Queen will join veterans at a celebratory concert at Horse Guards Parade to conclude #VEDay80 commemorations.
During the discussion, she spoke of her father, Major Bruce Shand, and his wartime experiences, reading an extract from his diary in which he described the thrill of receiving letters from friends and family back home.
Camilla’s father served with the 12th Royal Lancers during the Second World War and was awarded the Military Cross in 1940, during the retreat to Dunkirk, and again in 1942 for his efforts in North Africa.
He was wounded and taken prisoner later that year while fighting in the same region. Shand died in June 2006, aged 89, and the Queen told Cracknell that he had a narrow escape at El Alamein in Egypt in 1942.
“My father, who was captured at El Alamein, he was shot at and the bullet went through one side of the face, came out the other,” she said. “He was so lucky because it didn’t hit his teeth or his tongue.”
The Queen’s clip released by the royal family’s official Instagram account hours after she appeared with King Charles at a Thanksgiving Service at Westminster Abbey to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
The King and Queen were joined by The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, The Princess Royal and Sir Tim Laurence, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and The Duke of Kent.
